Whiplash
by KcuffyKidd96
Summary: Glee/PLL crossover;; When two worlds intermingle, there's bound to be drama. Especially with two groups as connected and complicated as Ohio's New Directions and Pennsylvania's Pretty Little Liars. Lima meets Rosewood in this mash-up, taking on the world, college, and the oh-so-scary future. Can they do it together, or will they all be torn apart? {My first FanFic!}
1. Chapter 1

**(*SANTANA LOPEZ is sitting cross-legged on her bed in a college dorm room, leafing through papers with her laptop on the bed beside her. QUINN FABRAY storms in, soaking wet, and obviously furious about something*)**

SANTANA: (*Tosses papers on to laptop keyboard and stands up, looking worried*) Hey! Hey, Quinn, what's wrong? (*Grabbing Quinn by shoulders, forcing her to face her*)

QUINN: (*incoherent babbling*)

SANTANA: (*forcefully*) QUINN.

QUINN: (*Trying to calm down, but still crying*) You know, I'm just so _sick_, of Rachel-fucking-Berry, and her shit! (*Crying turns back into sobbing*)

SANTANA: (*Confused now*) What? Hey, Quinn, calm down, 'kay? Look at me. (*Holds QUINN's face and makes her look at her face*) Breathe. Calm down.

QUINN: (*Nods with a shudder, and sobbing begins to calm*)

SANTANA: Now tell me, what's going on with Rachel? And why are you all _wet_? (*Looks down at Quinn's dripping clothes with the classic "Santana Face"*)

QUINN: (*Shaking Santana's hands off, flops down on Santana's bed*)

SANTANA: (Sits down beside Quinn, and puts a comforting arm around her shoulder*)

QUINN: Well, I was walking across campus, ya know, on my way here, (*Takes a deep, shuddery breath*) when out of the blue, Miss Bistro Italiano Nose comes out of absolute _nowhere, _screaming all this shit at me about "you and Finn", and "late night kiki's"- I don't even know what the hell a kiki _is_! And everyone was staring, and, and _pointing_, and just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, she pushed me! That schnozzy, preppy, _bitch_ pushed me straight into the fucking fountain thing! (*Breaks down, crying into Santana's shoulder*)

SANTANA: (*In head*) _Well_… were_ you with Finn?_ (*Out loud*) It'll be okay, Quinn. (*Rubs Quinn's back reassuringly*)

QUINN: (*Looks up into Santana's face semi-sarcastically*) Somehow I doubt that.

SANTANA: (*Smirks*) Don't worry. I _promise_.

QUINN: (*Raises eyebrow*)

**(*Scene switch to HANNA MARIN and MERCEDES JONES, kicked out on the rug in Hanna's apartment bedroom, flipping through Cosmo magazines and chatting*)**

HANNA: (*Flipping through magazine, blowing on freshly painted nails distractedly*) Hey 'Cedes?

MERCEDES: Yes?

HANNA: Would you consider me "classy but flirty", or "stylish but sensible?

MERCEDES: Hmmm… (*Considering*) I, would, say….

BOTH: (*Together*) "Classy but flirty!" (*Both laugh, and Hanna circles something magazine*)

(*HANNA'S cell phone rings*)

HANNA: (*With an overdramatic sigh, she looks at the the screen, then answers it*) Yes?

MERCEDES: (*Gets up, walks into the adjoining bathroom, and begins fixing her hair*)

HANNA: (*Heard from other room*) She did WHAT? Oh my God, Mercedes is totally gonna flip. (*Laughs*) Yep… Uh-huh, Okay Bye! (*Enters the bathroom smiling and leans on the door frame*) You will not _believe _what I just found out.

MERCEDES: (*Looking slightly worried*) Hanna, if this is about another "free" trip to Amsterdam, I'm not interested.

HANNA: Hey! That was totally not my fault! That website was really believable! (* Walks over to mirror, and begins brushing her hair, peering intently into the mirror*)

MERCEDES: (*Incredulous*) It was called !

HANNA: (*Stops mid-brush*) So?

MERCEDES: (*Shakes head*) Never mind, Han.

HANNA: (*Resumes brushing hair*) Well, do you wanna hear the news or not?

MERCEDES: Okay, shoot.

HANNA: Okay, so that was Artie on the phone. You know that one kid, Toby Cavanaugh?

MERCEDES: (*Confused*) Yeah? What about him?

HANNA: (*Excitedly*) _Well_, he's having a party this Saturday, and guess which two hot chicks just got invited to it!?

MERCEDES: (*Drops brush*) Oh my Lord, are you serious?!

HANNA: YES!

(*The two girls hug each other and begin bouncing in circles, cheering*)

(*Below them, someone begins pounding on the ceiling *) SHUT UP!

MERCEDES: (*Happily*) HELL TO THE NO!

(*Girls resume cheering, while in the bedroom Hanna's cell phone rings*)

**(*Scene switch to next day, EMILY FIELDS and MIKE CHANG, walking through a park, Emily's cell phone pressed to her ear*)**

EMILY: (*Puts phone into purse, looking slightly irritated*) She isn't picking up.

MIKE: I'm sure she's fine, Em. Don't sweat it. When in history has Hanna Marin _ever_ picked up her phone on the first try for anyone but her mom or Artie?

EMILY: I'm almost certain she only picks up for Artie because he's her brother. (*Sighs*) She can be so frustrating sometimes.

MIKE: Well, _she's_ the one who'll be missing out on the ice cream. (*Nudges Emily's arm with a smile*)(*The pair exits the park and cross the street towards a small café*)

EMILY: Oh please, I don't even know why I bothered calling. That girl would never eat more than 10 calories at a time.

(*Both laugh*)

MIKE: (*Innocently*) Well, why don't you try Marley?

EMILY: (*Sideways glance*) For none of your _own_ personal gain, I'm sure. (*Smiles*)

MIKE: What! (*Laughs*) She _did_ just break up with Jake. I'm sure she could use some ice cream.

EMILY: MmHmm... (* Looks up, considering*) You know what? I think I will.

**(*Scene switch to MARLEY, TINA, and CALEB. Marley and Caleb are playing video games on Caleb's living room floor, while Tina watches, eating cheese puffs*)**

TINA: (*Looking around dirty room distastefully*) Caleb, may I ask why your apartment smells slightly like a Swedish strip club?

MARLEY: (*Covers mouth, attempting not to laugh*)

CALEB: (*Laughs*) Dude, I'm a guy. Guys don't clean.

TINA: I can tell.

CALEB: Hey, unless you're volunteering _your_ services, I suggest you hush.

TINA: (*Laughs, and shrugs, staying silent*)

(*MARLEY's cell phone rings*)

MARLEY: Crap, uh, Tina, could you get that for me? I'm kinda busy killing zombies here.

TINA: (*gets up with a groan, headed towards phone *) Why me? Is it because I'm Asian?

MARLEY: (*Laughs*) Entirely.

TINA: (*sighs*) That's a hate crime. (*Looks at phone*) It's Emily.

MARLEY: OOH! Answer it. I need to talk to her anyway. (*Puts down controller*) Sorry Caleb, I got take this.

CALEB: Don't worry, I totally got this.

MARLEY: (*heads over to Tina, sidestepping a pile of dirty clothes with an old plate of half-eaten nachos on top*) Dude, Tina's right. Your apartment's _gross_.

CALEB: (*Grunts distractedly*)

MARLEY: (*Shaking her head, takes the phone from Tina*) Hello? Hey, Em! I have totally got to talk to you. Do you have a minute?

TINA: (*Sitting down beside Caleb*) Um, H-H-Hey, Caleb. Need some help there?

CALEB: No.

TINA: Oh, ummm… okay, then. (*Turns very red and stands, walking away towards the bathroom*)

MARLEY: (*Covering mouthpiece with hand and whispers*) Hey, Be nice, Caleb.

CALEB: (*Loud whisper*) But Dude! Last time, she shot 3 teammates and blew up all our ammo! All without killing a single zombie!

MARLEY: Caleb.

CALEB: (*sulkily*) Fine. (*Louder*) Hey Tina! I need you out here! These zombies are relentless! (*Mouths to Marley*) _You owe me._

MARLEY: (*mouths back*) _Thank you_. (*Uncovers mouthpiece*) Hey, Em, you still there? Yeah. Where? Oh, you mean Luigi's? Sure. I'll be there in 10. Okay. Bye! (*Hangs up*) Hey guys, I gotta go meet Em and Mike at Luigi's, but I'll call you later okay? (*Gathering up her stuff*)

CALEB: Sure. Bye. (*Focused on Zombies*)

(*TINA re-enters the room just as MARLEY is leaving*)

TINA: Hey, w-w-where's Marley going?

CALEB: Out. You gonna help me or what? (*Smiles*)

TINA: (*Smiles back*) Sure. (*Sits down beside Caleb*) I promise not to kill you this time. Well, at least not on purpose.

(*Both Laugh*)

**(*Scene cut to QUINN, walking down a street talking on her cell phone*)**

QUINN: No. I'm serious, I really have _no_ clue. Well fine, then. But I thought-

(*Quinn's conversation cuts off as she bumps into another woman walking down the street with her arms loaded with random odds and ends, knocking all of her things to the ground*)

WOMAN: (*Oddly familiar voice*) HEY!

QUINN: Hey, I gotta go! I'll call you later! (*Hangs up and kneels down to help the woman gather up her scattered objects*) I am _so_ sorry; I didn't mean- (*Looks up at woman's face*) –Oh.

RACHEL: Yes, Oh. (*Begins muttering to herself angrily*)

QUINN: (*Looking at ground*) Sorry, Rachel. Here. (*Holds out Rachel's things*)

RACHEL: I'm sure you are. (*Takes things and adds them to her pile*)

QUINN: (*Crosses arms*) Look, Rachel, you don't have to be such a bitch!

RACHEL: (*Sweetly*) And you don't have to be such a nasty little whore.

RANDOM GUY: (*Walking past*) Ooh, _burn_.

(*Both glare at him*)

QUINN: Listen to me! I honestly have no idea what you're talking about! I did NOT hook up with _Finn! _

RACHEL: Sure, Quinn, sure.

QUINN: Look bitch-

SAM: (*Walking up*) Hey, hey, hey. What's going on here ladies?

QUINN: Honestly? I have no clue. Why don't you ask Sunshine Hitler over here? (*Walks away angrily*)

SAM: Rachel?

RACHEL: (*Walks away in other direction*)

SAM: (*To both of them*) I'll do my Arnold impression!

(*Neither girl responds*)

SAM: (*Sighs*) (*To himself*) _Get down, now!_

RANDOM CHICK: (*Walking past*) (*Flirtatiously*) Hey, Trouty Mouth.

SAM: (*Oblivious*) Hey.

RACHEL: Come on, Sam!

SAM: Sam-I-_Am_. (*Follows Rachel away*)

**(*Scene cut to evening, NOAH PUCKERMAN and EZRA FITZ, waiting outside of SPENCER's dorm in a car that only a college kid could love*)**

EZRA: What's taking them so long?

PUCK: I don't know, man. (*Laughs*) Why? You tryna score tonight or something? (*Laughs again*)

EZRA: Shut up Puck.

(*SPENCER HASTINGS and ARIA MONTGOMERY emerge from dorm building. Aria is dressed in a short black skirt and a red cami with a jacket on top, looking awesome. Spence is dressed in black dress plants and a gray blazer, looking awesome, but… differently, so*)

EZRA: (*Jaw dropped*) Oh dear God.

PUCK: My thoughts exactly.

(*Girls walk up to car, smiling*)

ARIA: Sooooo, how do we look?

EZRA: Ummm… you guys look great… but, uh…

PUCK: Spencer, what the hell are you wearing?

SPENCER: (*Shocked*) What!? (*Looks down at outfit*) I spent a lot of time on this!

EZRA: Um, what Puck means is, don't you think that's a bit… formal, for a Friday night party?

PUCK: We're going to Toby's house, Spencer, not church.

SPENCER: What- Aria, do _you_ agree?

ARIA: (*Looks down at feet, silently*)

SPENCER: (*Throws hands up*) Fine! Fine. I'm not going! (*Turns and walks away*)

ARIA: Good job, Puck. (*Walks away after her*) Spencer! Spence! Come on, come back! Puck was just being a jerk!

PUCK: (*To Ezra*) See, I'm a jerk now, too.

EZRA: That _was_ kinda mean, man.

PUCK: Dude! You saw that shit! What'd you want me to say?

EZRA: Puck, that's your girlfriend. You _could'v_e been nicer about it.

PUCK: I didn't hear you say you disagreed with me, though.

EZRA: Hell no. You saw that shit.

(*Both guys burst into laughter*)

**(*Inside SPENCER's dorm room*)**

(*Aria leaning on couch while Spencer races around in a tank top and a slip, holding up various items of clothing to her body, then tossing them away*)

SPENCER: Okay, I officially have nothing to wear, Aria! Nothing! I'm going to look like a fool! Everyone's going to laugh at me! I'll- (*Begins to cry*)

ARIA: (*sighs*) Spence... Spencer. (*Yells*) SPENCER!

SPENCER: (*Sniffles*) What!?

ARIA: (*Stands up, walks over to her*) First off, lose the slip. You're not a senior citizen. (*Pulls off Spencer's slip and tosses it into a corner*) Tip #1: Burn that. Now, let's see… (*Begins rummaging through Spencer's dresser*)

SPENCER: (*Standing in the middle of the room uncomfortably*)

ARIA: Jesus Spence, where do you shop? Talbots? (*Tossing clothes over shoulder*)

SPENCE: Sometimes….

ARIA: (*Looks up at Spencer disbelievingly*) Wow. No. Okay, so anyway… (*Holds up a short red skirt*) How about this?

SPENCER: Umm… Aria, I think that's kinda short…

ARIA: Spencer! It's a _college party_. Trust me, you'll be wearing the most clothes there. Now, here. (*Holds out a skirt and top to Spencer*) Put this on. I'll run to my room and get you a jacket to put on top.

SPENCER: Okay.

(*ARIA leaves, and SPENCER changes into the new outfit, looking a great deal better*)

SPENCER: (*Spinning around in her mirror*)

ARIA: (*Bursts back in with 3 jackets, looking curiously at Spencer, who is now trying to lean "casually" on a chair*) Ummm… dude, I totally saw that.

SPENCER: (*Blushes and sits down to put on her heels*)

ARIA: Here, try these on. (*Tosses jackets at Spencer*) And hurry, before Puck and Ezra leave us!

SPENCER: (*Picks a jacket and puts it on, tossing hair over shoulder*) Okay, Aria, how do I look?

ARIA: (*Looks her up and down, then smiles*) Fabulous. Now come on! Let's go!

(*The girls rush downstairs and outside into the cold October air, hurrying towards the waiting car*)

EZRA: Oh, Bravo Aria! You have performed yet another miracle.

SPENCER: (*Glares at Ezra*)

PUCK: Can we go now? We're already late.

SPENCER: It's a house party, Puck. You _can't_ be late_._

PUCK: True that… (*Smiles at her*) You look beautiful, babe.

SPENCER: (*Blushes*) Thanks.

ARIA: (*Smiles*) Dear God, I'm going to puke.

PUCK: Shut up, Aria.

(*All four laugh as the car pulls away*)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Oh Lord, so let me explain myself.

Whew, that first chapter was rushed, as was the story summary and all that. I was absolutely crunched for time, and I'm sorry!

BTW, I have since updated the summary to something MUCH better!

I also realized I had completely forgotten a disclaimer... to which I say "Whoops!" and also "Oh well." (* Shrugs*)

I'm gonna TRY to update more regularly, but I make no promises because my schedule is the spawn of the devil.

One more thing before I end this ridiculously long A/N: I can't promise this'll always be written in script form. I kinda go with the flow, and I'm adaptable! Don't hate me, please! And as always, Enjoy!

**(*Scene opens at the party. PUCK and SPENCER making out on a couch in the background, both of them clearly drunk. Aria sitting at a small table with a bowl of chips, looking around disinterestedly*)**

RANDOM GUY: (*Stumbles up to Aria's table and leans on it heavily*)(*Slurs*) Hey, baby, you want a beer?

ARIA: Umm… no thanks. I'm a designated driver. (*Tries to smile politely, but only manages an uncomfortable grimace*)

GUY: Welp! Sucks to be youuuuuuuu! (*Lifts beer to mouth, and falls over*)

ARIA: (*eyeing the man in slight disgust*) Okay... so _that's_ gross...

EZRA: (*Emerges from crowd and stumbles up to Aria, falling into a seat*) Hey babe! (*Laughs drunkenly*) Want a drink? (*Falls over onto table*)

ARIA: (*in head*) Is that _lipstick_ on his collar?

(*QUINN walks out of a bedroom, hanging onto some dude's arm*)

ARIA: (*in head*) Hey! Quinn's here! And where Quinn is...

(*SANTANA goes running by, crying hysterically, chasing some guy*)

ARIA: (*in head*) … Santana is sure to follow. (*Smiles to herself*)

SANTANA: Hey! Come back here with that beer! I wasn't finished yet!

(*MIKE, EMILY, MARLEY, CALEB, and TINA arrive, entering the front door loaded down with cases of beer and water bottles*)

ARIA: (*standing up*) Hey! Look who's here! Our old friends who don't love us anymore since they graduated college! (*Hugs each of them warmly*) So, you're not too old for a little college party like this?

CALEB: One never outgrows loud music and free beer.

EMILY: (*Laughs*) You got that right.

MARLEY: (*Looking Aria over*) So, designated driver, huh?

ARIA: Yep. (*Holds up keys and shakes them*) You too?

MARLEY: (*Holds up her own keys with a smile*) Yep.

ARIA: Well, there's this really awesome little corner I found, and- (*turns to point at where she had been sitting, a drunken guy is slumped over 2 of the chairs, covered in puke*)- I guess it's gone now.

(*ARIA and MARLEY laugh*)

MARLEY: So I was talking to Quinn earlier, and you won't believe what Rachel Berry did to her!

ARIA: (*Slightly surprised*) Rachel_? _You mean little, angelic Rachel _Berry_? Oh, I can't wait to hear this! What? Did she swap her toothbrush for a slightly less firm one?

MARLEY: (*Smirks*) Well...

(*Girls walk away, laughing and chatting*)

**(*Scene cuts to EMILY, in the kitchen*)**

EMILY: (*Leaning on counter, sipping vodka from her flask and watching the party around her*)

HANNA: (*Enters the kitchen drunkenly clutching a bottle of Corona, stumbling over the edge of the rug and spilling some of it onto the floor*) Hey, Em!

EMILY: (*Looks Hanna up and down, the looks away*) Hello, Hanna.

HANNA: (*Sets bottle down on counter and smiles obliviously*) So this party is like, amazing, or what? (*Laughs*)

EMILY: (*Uninterested*) Sure. (*Looks away and raises flask to mouth*) Although I'm sure you'd have a much more credible opinion.

HANNA: (*Laughs*) What?

EMILY: Well, you've seen most of it, it appears. (*Looks over Hanna 's disheveled appearance critically*)

HANNA: (*Puppy Dog eyes in full effect*) Awww, come on, Em. Don't be like that. (*Nudges her in the side*)

EMILY: (*Shifts away slightly, regarding Hanna silently with a single eyebrow raised*)

HANNA: (*Trying desperately to lighten the mood*) Hey, uh, did I tell you? Artie's coming!

EMILY: (*Laughs accusingly*) And I suppose he _called_ and told you this?

HANNA: (*Nods eagerly*) Yep!

EMILY: Oh... (*Raises eyebrows and nods sarcastically as she leans on the counter nonchalantly, turning away from Hanna*)

HANNA: (*Smiles uneasily*) Uh, are you okay Em? Did I do something to piss you off? Cuz if so, I totally take it back! (*Tries another heart-winning smile*)

EMILY: (*Remains silent, takes a sip from her flask*)

HANNA: (*smile fades*) Emily. Hello? I'm speaking here. WHAT is your issue? (*Voice rising*)

EMILY: (*Spins on her, throwing up her hands*) Oh, Nothing... _Nothing _at all. I'm happy, actually! It's nice to know you at least pick up the phone for _somebody._

HANNA: (*Sighs in frustration*) Seriously, Em? _That's_ why you're mad? A few stupid missed calls_!_?

EMILY: (*Scoffs and rolls eyes*) A few.

HANNA: (*In disbelief*) Oh my _God_! You are SO melodramatic! (*Pissed off and beginning to sober up*)

EMILY: (*Crosses arms and leans back against the counter mockingly*) As if you even know what that word _means._

HANNA: (*Opens mouth to say something, then closes it*)

EMILY: (*Sarcastic excitement*) Oh wow! What's that? Nothing? You mean to tell me the "oh so amazing Hanna Marin" is silent for once? Impossible!

HANNA: (*Quietly*) You don't have to be a bitch.

EMILY: (*Icily*) Yeah, because you're already filling that position, right Han?

HANNA: You know what? Whatever. (*Grabs her bottle and walks away*)

EMILY: (*Sighs*) Hanna!

HANNA: (*Raises middle finger in the air and keeps walking*)

EMILY: (*in head*) What in the hell is _wrong_ with me? (*Groans and takes a large gulp of vodka, leaning her elbows on the counter, and placing her head in her hands*)

**(*Scene cuts back to living room. Door flies open and ARTIE ABRAMS is standing there*)**

ARTIE: THE PARTY'S HERE BITCHES! MAKIN' IT RAIN!

(*Throws a fistful of bills into the air, and all the bitches come running*)

(*SUGAR MOTTA and BRITTANY PIERCE suddenly pop their heads around behind him*)

SUGAR & BRITTANY: (*In unison*) We're hereeeee!

(*Everyone runs (Or stumbles, in some cases) from their various locations in the house to greet them, while the rest of the party continues on with their business*)

MIKE: Oh my God, Britt! (*Grabs her and spins her around*)

(*HANNA, EZRA, SANTANA, CALEB, SPENCER, EMILY, TINA, MARLEY, MERCEDES, PUCK, and QUINN group hug ARTIE, SUGAR, and BRITTANY*)

EMILY: Wow! (*Holds back Artie to look at him*) What are you guys doing in town? Did you come here all the way from Miami just for us?

SUGAR: Well, that, and we were running low on California Sausages! (*Laughs*) OH! And Kurt and Blaine couldn't make it, but they send their love and well wishes!

SANTANA: (*Slurring*) Aww, no gay face? (*Sighs, pulling Sugar into a hug and whispering drunkenly into her ear*) _Hey, haha, yawanna knowa secret Sugaaaa? Hahaha Iluv kurtnblaine... Alots-n-lots-n-lots! Hahaha!_

SUGAR: (*Laughing uneasily, carefully disentangling herself from Santana's drunken clutches*) Yeah, me too Santana... (*Steps away cautiously*)

BRITTANY: (*Sadly*) Lord Tubbington ate my favorite Yo-Yo.

TINA: (*Sighs*) I missed you Britt! (*Hugs her again*)

SANTANA: (*Humming Teenage Dream to herself happily as she stumbles away to a nearby couch, collapsing there face down*)

SUGAR: Okay wait, we're missing some. (*Looks around noting absences*) Where are Finn... Rachel, and... Sam?

QUINN: (*Laughs and waves hand dismissively, linking an arm around Sugar's shoulder*) Oh, don't you worry. We'll fill you in on _all _that, but later. Right now, let's PARTY! (*Begins fist pumping enthusiastically*)

(*Quinn and Sugar merge into the mass of bodies surrounding them, cheering loudly*)

ARTIE: (*Notices Hanna hugging Brittany, and walks up beside the pair to wait his turn*)

SUGAR: (*From somewhere in the crowd*) BRITT! Where you at girl!?

BRITTANY: (*Releases Hanna with a smile and whispers*) My mom says Sugar will give me diabetes, but I think she's pretty nice. (*Pats Hanna on shoulder and goes off in search of Sugar and Quinn*)

ARTIE: (*Sidles up to Hanna's side, and taps her on the shoulder*) And where is my lovely sister at? Can't a brotha get no love? (*Smiles and hugs Hanna tightly*) I missed you Han.

HANNA: (*Sighs*) I missed you too big brother... (*Holds on to him, not wanting to break the hug yet*)

ARTIE: Haha, umm, Han? (*Laughs semi-uncomfortably*)

HANNA: (*Muffled into Artie's hoodie*) MmHm?

ARTIE: Is there something... wrong? (*Holds her away to study her face*) I mean, aside from too much alcohol? (*Cue brotherly smile*)

HANNA: (*Small laugh*) Nothing we can't talk about later brother. For now, however, we've got some serious partying to do. (*Smiles brightly and takes Artie's hand, leading him out to the "dance floor"*)

(*Everyone cheers as the duo enters the dance area, because after all, who can resist those amazing Michael Jackson moves of Artie's?*)

+The party lasts _well_ into the night+

A/N: I hope you liked it! Chapter 3 should be up soon-ish? I dunno, this is my first FanFic. Talk about nerve-wracking!

Oh yes, before I forget.

Shout out to my big sister (My lovely unofficial beta) Synful92. She inspired this madness! You should check out her first ever FanFic, "Whisper To A Scream" (I beta'ed it x]). It's pretty dope! Lol, I seriously love all of you guys! The FF community is AWESOME!

~ xoxo Kcuffy


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Quick Note: Yes, I know I've changed formats from script to paragraph. God hasn't struck me down for it yet, so I think we'll be okay. :D ALSO: Mercedes' name was in last chapter. That was a mistake! I'm sorry! Please, I beg of you all not to virtually impale me and just use your little mental erasers to pretend that little slip-up never happened. ****Mercedes was not at the party!**** That'll be important Chapter 5, but I just thought I should let you all know now. **** Okay. I hope you like this chapter. I already had the idea, but big thanks to that one anonymous guest reviewer (you know who you are! (Even though I don't... xD)) for encouraging it! Happy reading guys!**

Santana awakened to a cool breeze slapping across her body, followed immediately by the reek of alcohol and sweat. With a groan she shifted uncomfortably, wondering why her bed was so hard, and why, despite the fact that her eyes were wide open, she couldn't see anything. Even in the dead of night, her room was never entirely black.

She almost panicked for a moment, wondering if it wasn't too insane to think she might've gone blind in the night, when reality punched her in the gut.

_You're wearing some sort of mascot head, or something, idiot. _She thought to herself, wondering how she had possibly not noticed this before.

With weak hands, Santana yanked the stuffy thing over her head and tossed it to the side, relishing in the cool, fresh air for a moment. Looking over, she almost laughed out loud at the comic moose head grinning at her from it's now upside down position at the other end of the bathtub.

Wait, _bathtub?_

Looking around, Santana realized that she most definitely_ was_ in a bathtub, it's edge littered with half-empty beer bottles and a few cigarettes. As she moved her hand to better support herself she brushed against something and almost shrieked. Okay, so she wasn't alone in this bathtub, either. Directly beside was an unconscious blonde girl, head thrown to the side (Thus her hair concealing her face and masking her identity) and clad in nothing but her underwear. Santana smiled briefly as she realized she wouldn't be the only one waking up to a surprise this morning. Giving the blonde a final once-over, she noted with a kind of bemused absurdity that the girl's underwear were similar to a pair she owned.

Another breeze (which Santana now saw was coming from an open window above the toilet) made Santana shudder, and she felt the goosebumps rising as she looked down with a gasp.

_I'm in my underwear too,_ Santana thought in dismay. Then, a more horrifying thought: _No. No I'm not. I'm in someone _else's_ underwear._

Santana's blood suddenly chilled, and the goosebumps on her slim torso seem to shiver as she recognized the lacy pink _Q's _embroidered on the light blue panties and bra cups with a kind of dull shock.

_Why am I wearing Quinn's underwear?_

Trembling, Santana refocused her attention on the peacefully dozing blonde beside her, this time paying a bit more attention to details, and yep those underwear were definitely familiar now. _I'd recognize that faded red stain anywhere_, she thought. Julie Hampshire's birthday party: 7th grade. Someone had spilled red punch into Santana's lap, staining her new white party dress red, and for weeks after that they had called her Period Party Pack.

All that was light years away now, however, as Santana's reality kept trying to force the obvious truth in front of every weak excuse she could come up with.

Without breathing, Santana forced herself to reach out and brush away the blonde hair concealing the face she so desperately needed to but didn't want to see.

With a choked sob, Santana puled back her hand to cover her mouth as she stared in Quinn's sleeping face, worst suspicions confirmed.

Santana gripped he edge of the tub to brace herself against the wave of dizziness that had just smacked her dead in the face as a million thoughts raced through her head.

_We did not get it on in a bathtub. We did not get it on! Oh God, what if someone watched? She has a boyfriend, dumbass! Wren's gonna kill me. _Then, with an internal groan_: Wren's gonna kill _us.

Santana put her face into her hands, overwhelmed, trying desperately to fight back the tears that were building up and threatening to come. If she hadn't had a hangover before, she certainly had one now.

She wondered illogically if she couldn't just leave right now, leaving Quinn none the wiser. She could keep it a secret, right? Move to a little cottage in Romania, raise chickens... maybe she could even tell the chickens! They wouldn't judge her, right? They'd understand. "It was the alcohol," she'd tell them. "Just a little bathtub fun between friends, right?" One of whom was straight, and in a loving, committed relationship, the other a flaming Lebanese, granted, but other than _that_ minor detail-

The most obvious thought interrupted Santana's little Romanian chicken farm fantasy.

_The underwear, retard. You're wearing each others freaking underwear._

Irrationally, Santana considered for a moment if it would be too impossible to just switch them out while Quinn was still sleeping.

_But wouldn't that be like, rape? _ Santana's rational mind questioned.

Well, I'm pretty sure we're beyond that small informality, considering whatever happened last night, another part of her mind argued back.

_Nothing!_ She whispered heatedly. _Nothing at all happened last night, so you just shut the hell up! _Santana clapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes went wide as she realized she was sitting, basically naked and alone, in Toby Cavanaugh's bathtub talking to herself.

With a sigh, she turned and faced Quinn's unconscious figure, trying to make up her mind. Finally letting her inner crazy (and apparently there was a lot of that) make the decision for her, Santana reached out with tentative fingers towards Quinn's body. Her shaking hand was about an inch from the hem of Quinn's (Hers?) underwear when the blonde suddenly shifted with an uncomfortable grimace.

Santana's hand snapped back, and her head was absolutely throbbing now as Quinn cracked open an eye and regarded the all-but-naked Latina in the bathtub beside her.

"Holy shit." Quinn mumbled.

X

Puck's neck was aching fiercely as he hauled himself up from behind the couch and into a sitting position. Despite the pain, he smiled.

Puck loved nights like last night. Getting trashed with all his friends to the point he had absolutely no recollection when he woke up the next morning in some random, obscure place. Well, aside from the time he'd woken up in he pool... That hadn't been so great. Luckily for him it had been empty.

But that was it. No hangover (he was _way_ beyond those by now), no memories, just good, mindless, mostly innocent fun. It was one of the best highs he could imagine. With a sigh, and still smiling to himself like an idiot, Puck stood and stretched lazily, taking his time to take in the scene around him. The living room was beyond trashed, and he didn't want to be there when Toby woke up from wherever he was currently passed out. Patting his pocket, he was deeply relieved to find his keys still nestled there (because that most certainly was not always the case), and he began picking his way across bodies and empty pizza boxes towards the front door. Pausing above a box that wasn't quite empty, Puck stooped down and picked up a piece of cold, but still perfectly edible pizza. In doing so, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something that made him put the pizza back and rise to his feet.

There, lying on the kitchen floor absolutely naked (aside from his boxers and a Santa Claus bow tie) was Mike Chang, cuddling with the beer keg with a sappy smile plastered on his face. Not one to miss an opportunity like that, Puck immediately whipped out his phone and, grinning like an idiot, took a few blackmail shots before crouching beside his drunken Asian friend and prodding him gently in the ribs.

"Mikey. Hey, Mike buddy."

"Mmfulanunga..." Mike muttered incoherently, releasing the beer keg to clutch at his head.

"Hey big boy, ya gotta get up now. I gotta get you home bro. Emily's probably worried sick."

"Mike sat up, groggily rubbing at his eyes and grimacing. "Uh-uh, Emmy drove herself home, ithkk...", he trailed off, already dozing back into dreamland. Puck sighed, crouching there a moment longer before rising and going to the kitchen sink to fill a glass with cold water. Returning to Mike, he stood over him for a minute, regarding him with a regretful sigh before pouring the contents of the glass over his head and walking away. Behind him he could hear a long stream of curses coming from the kitchen, and he smiled to himself as he went off in search of any more forgotten comrades. It turns out there were quite a few.

At the very top of the stairs was a door that led to, if his memory served him right, the bathroom. Pushing open that door, Puck drew in a long breath at the sight in front of him: Santana and Quinn, sitting in the bathtub together clad in nothing but their underwear, and staring at each other with wide eyes. When he entered the room, both girls shrieked guiltily and Santana threw what looked like a moose's head at him, yelling something in broken Spanglish.

Shutting the door quickly, Puck tried to keep a steady voice (even though his eyes were bugging out and his chest was heaving with silent laughter) and called through it "I'm leaving in ten. Get in another round if ya like but if you two aren't downstairs by then, I'm leaving you." His mouth widened into a toothy, comical smile and he clapped his hands dramatically (but silently) in amusement at the girls' protesting shouts coming through the thin wood. In the back of his mind aside from the hilarity of the situation, he knew that he should probably just forget that it had even happened, but he couldn't worry about that just now; He had other business to attend to.

Puck sauntered down the rest of the hallway and back, opening and closing doors as he checked each room for anyone he knew. At this point, he had no clue who was left. Finding nothing upstairs, he trotted back down the stairs at a lively place to check the rest of the downstairs.

Deciding to start in the kitchen, Puck opened first the broom closet, relieved to find none of his friends in there doing God only knows what with the mops and such. Opening the pantry, however, he found Sugar, slumped in a corner with an open jar of Nutella in her lap and handcuffs on her left ankle.

He didn't even want to know.

Sugar was a bit more responsive than Mike, and he had no difficulty waking her and directing her towards the living room. Following behind a stumbling Sugar with a steadying hand on her shoulder, Puck headed towards the living room. There he found Mike was awake and standing at the foot of the stairs, watching Santana and Quinn as they descended slowly, towels wrapped around their bodies.

"What's this? No clothes then, guys?", Mike asked, with a smug smile.

"Shut the hell up Fortune Cookie." Santana snapped, crossing her arms tighter and glaring at him.

"Oh, I bet you know all about those." Mike retorted with a knowing smirk, causing Quinn to flush red and Santana to curse under her breath.

"Hey, hey. Let's keep it friendly up in here." Puck said sternly, but when Santana wasn't looking, he gave Mike a quick air high-five. Quinn did see, though, and blushed even darker, sitting down on the steps and placing her head on her knees.

Puck felt a little bad then, realizing the internal struggle Quinn was probably dealing with right now regarding Wren and the whole situation. He imagined this all wasn't nearly as funny to her as it was to him. Pushing aside his guilty conscience for the time being, Puck surveyed the group around him taking a mental roll call as he did so.

Mike, Sugar, Santana, and Quinn. Emily has apparently already gone home, but that still left Ezra, Aria, Spencer, Marley, Caleb, Hanna and Tina.

Puck figured that Aria had taken Ezra home, seeing as how she had been a designated driver, and likewise for Marley, Tina, and Caleb. A quick call to Hanna confirmed hat she had also made it home safely, though she had to catch a bus because Mercedes was nowhere to be found. So that took care of them... but where was his lovely girlfriend, Spencer?

The bedraggled group settled themselves down around the room as Puck hurriedly punched in Spencer's phone number, trying not to worry or overthink this too much. After all, Spence _was_ a big girl. He tried to reassure himself with that thought as he held the phone to his ear. He gave it 8 rings, but got no response. Mike shot him a questioning look, but Puck just shook his head, and frowning slightly, redialed the number. Spencer always picked up her phone.

Just as he was about to hang up again, he heard something, faintly. Following the noise, he crossed the living room and opened the front door. Yep, there it was, and a lot clearer now, Stepping down onto the porch and shielding his eyes from the harsh sunlight, he had to suppress a laugh as he took in the scene in front of him.

There was Spencer, face down in the middle of the driveway, her phone's ringtone absolutely blaring. He hadn't even known a phone's volume _got_ that loud.

The others had followed Puck out onto the porch, and as their eyes began to slowly adjust to the light, he heard muffled laughter from behind him. He glared at them until they quieted, and then, with a defeated sigh, walked the walk of shame over to the unconscious girl sprawled across the driveway.

X

30 minutes later found the 6 piled into Puck's 2004 Jeep Wrangler, Sugar opting to sit on Mike's lap up front, the three girls in the back. Mike had tried repeatedly to call his sister, but Emily was apparently pissed at him and didn't answer.

Spencer was against the left back door, staring out the window with grumpy stubbornness and refusing to make eye contact with anyone. She had been understandably embarrassed about being found unconscious out in Toby Cavanaugh's driveway, skirt hiked up around her thighs and wristwatch effectively entwined into her tangled hair. It had taken nearly 20 minutes to separate her wrist from her head, and after being held in that awkward position for so long, her arm was extremely sore. So yes, she was a bit grumpy.

This left Quinn and Santana sitting awkwardly beside each other, neither wanting to make accidental eye or body contact with the other. Thankfully they weren't still in towels, or that'd have been awkward. Toby had... "loaned", them both T-Shirts and board shorts for the ride home (well, actually he'd been passed out underneath some girl on the living room floor, but he hadn't said "no" when Puck asked, so...). Anyhow, Quinn had all but plastered herself to the right hand door, and Santana had scooted as close to Spencer as was humanly possible without touching her. After all, Spencer was clearly not in the best of moods, and Santana just want to reach home without receiving her trademark death scowl.

Despite his friends' miserable mornings, Puck was in a lovely mood. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and hell if those weren't birds tweeting in the background. Pulling on his favorite shades and popping a piece of gum into his mouth, Puck slid his current favorite CD in the radio and pulled off, smiling like an idiot at how wonderfully his day was going. And that was _pretty_ damn wonderful, at this point.

The peace lasted about 10 minutes.

"Puuucckkkkk", Sugar whined, twisting in Mike's lap to pout in his direction. "Could you please turn that offffff? Those drummy things are hurting my headdddddd."

"That's the bass Sugar" Puck replied, sighing wearily, but nonetheless he turned the radio off. He just wanted everyone else to share in his great mood. Apparently that was too much to ask, though, because now there was a tense, awkward silence.

Spencer was the one who finally broke it, and honestly Puck found himself wishing she hadn't.

"Ya know you don't all need to sit there and think awful things about me. You can say it out loud." Spencer snapped, earning herself an incredulous stare from Puck in the rearview mirror. Quinn just seemed to sink even further into herself, and Santana rolled her eyes. Sugar and Mike were oblivious, giggling to each other in the front seat.

Seemingly satisfied with her irrational outburst, Spencer re-crossed her arms gingerly and resumed staring out the window.

More silence followed, and Puck savored it, awkwardness and all. Even that small comfort however was apparently too good for one Noah Puckerman, because Santana piped up next.

"Hey, lovebirds, can ya hush? Some of us have head splitting hangovers back here.", she growled, crossing her arms.

"Don't be angry at the world, Santana, just because you aren't happy," Mike replied, shooting a sarcastic grin in Puck's direction. Puck didn't return it.

Santana suddenly smacked Mike upside the head, causing him to nearly drop Sugar as he spun around to face her.

"What the hell Santana?!" he yelled, and Sugar began shrieking as his water bottle tipped and began spilling out onto her lap.

"Oh, I'm sorry hobbit. Were you planning on becoming a doctor with those Asian brain cells?" Santana spat venomously. "Don't worry, I'm sure chop suey chefs are in _extremely_ high demand these days too."

"You know what, Santana, I am _tired_ of your racist-"

The car swerved and Puck pulled to a quick stop on the side of the road, (thankfully) scaring Sugar out her outraged shrieks. Everyone immediately began shouting their protests, and Puck could feel the blood burning in his temples.

"WILL ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT UP?" He barked, staring at each of them blazingly in turn. "You will NOT ruin my morning-after vibe!"

He was met with guilty silence from all but Santana, who opened her mouth to reply.

Puck beat her to it.

"Save it, Lopez, unless you wanna go back to your true immigrant tan hiking your ass back to you and Quinn's dorm."

Santana shut her mouth with an incredulous stare, and with a sigh, Puck lowered his glasses and pulled back onto the road, reminding himself to give a fuck later. The rest of the ride, to Puck's great relief, was blissfully silent.

Puck dropped off Mike first, following his directions to a nice, brick ranch style home which Mike said was his parents'. Giving him an apologetic smile, Puck suppressed a smile as Mike climbed out of the car, already defeated, and trudged away to face his sister's wrath. The door to Mike's house swung open before he was even halfway to his porch, and there was Emily, hair flying as she stormed down the brick path barefoot, pajama pants and all, shouting at him angrily. Puck pulled away before she came for him next.

Next to go were Santana and Quinn. When Puck pulled up to the curb outside their dormitory, Quinn all but ran from the car, leaving Santana to lean on the car door and thank him for the ride alone.

"Thanks for the ride Shark Boy. I feel like a **V.I.P** prostitute, minus the hedge clippers." Puck had no clue what she was talking about, but nodded nonetheless. He really just wanted to get home. With a wink and a smirk, Santana was off, following Quinn into their dorm building.

Students were milling about the campus in the mid day heat, and Puck suddenly found himself wishing he hadn't dropped out to move in with Ezra. Sure, Spence had been able to find an open space rooming with Ezra's girlfriend Aria, and the two had become great friends and all, but... he just _missed_ it sometimes. College life was by far easier than the real world, and he knew that now.

Puck sat there a moment longer, lost in his reverie, until a hand tapped him lightly on the shoulder startling him from his thoughts and causing him to turn backward in his seat.

"Are you gonna sit here and look at hot college girl asses all day, or are we taking Sugar over to Mercedes and Hanna's? I would like to get home sometime before I'm 30." Spencer's eyebrow was raised, and her small smile was uncertain as she met his eyes, but Puck was okay with that. A smile was a smile. He was just relieved to see that she was beginning to return to her usual self.

"Um, yeah babe. Sorry bout that." Puck pinched Spencer's nose lightly, ignoring Sugar pretending to vomit in the seat next to him, before he put the car into reverse and pulled back out onto the main road.

Puck's good vibe had been killed by now, and he could feel a kind of depressing little melancholy settling over his heart as he watched the clouds building up out on the western horizon. It was only 11:30, but he could tell this was going to be a very long day.

**A/N: Gah I know this took ****forever****, I'm sorry! I have absolutely nothing to blame other than my own procrastination, and I accept all cyber pitchforks thrown in my direction, I deserve them!**

**Of course, thanks to my big sister and unofficial beta synful92 , we're tying out this whole FanFic thing together, and I must say she's doing far better than me. Lol **** Review guys! You inspire my story because God knows I love ideas! Plot-Bunnies run wild when people work together.**

**Okay, Okay, I'll leave you be now. Goodbye all. I love you's! **

**~XxKossikaxX ~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **

**To start, I'm ****üb****er sorry for two very important things:**

**The wait. I'm blaming life for this one. Still, let the pitchforks fly, people.**

**This hella lengthy author's note you're about to endure. I just felt like I should put this (see below) in here for those of you who may be confused, cuz I sure as hell was. Lol skip it if ya want. I dunno. **

**In Colleges (NY):**

**RACHEL, TROUTY, FINN, QUINN, SANTANA, SPENCER, ARIA, TOBY, MIKE, MARLEY, TINA, MERCEDES, and HANNA.**

**Not in college (NY): **

**PUCK: Dropped out, working Starbucks**

**CALEB: Never went, working Best Buy**

**EZRA: Already graduated, college prof. (But not Aria's this time! xD)**

**EMILY: Already graduated, High school swimming coach**

**WREN: Already graduated, lawyer**

**In Colleges (Cali):**

**ARTIE, KURT, and BLAINE.**

**Not in college (Cali):**

**BRITT & SUGAR (Never went, working Hooters)**

****Side Note: Emily is older in this fic, like 25-ish, so there's more space between her and her little bro, Mike.**

**Okay, so now that I've gotten that one out: ONWARD!**

**~Kcuffy;**

**. X . x . X . x . X .**

By the time Puck pulled up to Mercedes and Hanna's building, his good spirits had all but recovered. Sugar had fallen asleep with her thumb in her mouth, allowing Puck to turn the radio back on, and he and Spencer had fallen into easy conversation somewhere back along Route 30. He couldn't understand why Mercedes and Hanna insisted on living so far away, not only from their college, but also from everyone else. He had begged then repeatedly to ditch their little college pad out near freaking Lansing (What the hell's in freaking _Lansing_? Exactly.), and come join "the crew" closer to the big city.

It was honestly surprising that Hanna had even shown up to Toby's party, considering how long of a drive it was just for some cheap beer and bad music. And that brought Puck to yet another thing he didn't understand.

Why had Artie, Britt, and Sugar had decided to stay way out there in the boonies with them, rather than with someone closer to all the action and everybody else? Yeah, Hanna was Artie's sister and all, but still. The girls' apartment wasn't even all that big; if he remembered correctly from the few times he'd been there, it was just the right size for two, and he couldn't imagine 5 people fitting in there comfortably. Hell, if anything, he and Ezra's apartment had more room than theirs did. He resolved to pursue that idea further later.

Puck killed the engine and removed his keys from the ignition as Spencer unwrapped her arms from around his neck and leaned back against the cushion in the back seat. He smiled at her in the rearview before reaching over to gently nudge Sugar awake.

"Sugar", he said quietly, poking her arm. He was surprised when she sat up almost immediately, looking very wide-awake, and not at all as if she'd been sleeping for nearly 4 hours.

"Oh, we're here?" she asked, craning her neck to peek out at the building. "I thought we were at another red light." At Puck's confused expression, she said, "I wasn't asleep guys. I just thought you two might want some alone time minus the old Sugar girl." She winked and nudged Puck with a knowing smile. "I take it my acting skills _haven't_ faded then."

Spencer snorted in the backseat, stifling a laugh, as she thought about how lucky they were that she and Puck hadn't been discussing anything especially private or embarrassing while they had wrongly assumed they were unobserved. Puck on the other hand only scratched his neck and shook his head disbelievingly. "Hey, don't worry babe." Spencer said, rubbing his shoulder gently. "She had me fooled too."

"It's not that." Puck said, looking away out the window.

Spencer shot a confused glance in Sugar's direction, before refocusing her attention on her now seemingly uncomfortable boyfriend sitting in front of her. "Well what's wrong, then?" She asked.

Puck sighed, feigning guilt, before a smirk pulled at his mouth, and he laughed quietly and looked back into Sugar's expectant face. "Well, if you must know, I was scratching my nuts pretty hard when you dozed off back there." He confessed, shrugging his shoulders. "I hope you didn't witness that." In the rearview, Spencer's mouth dropped open in shock.

"What? No!" Sugar shrieked, bursting into laughter as Spencer smacked his arm reprovingly and sat back again, trying to contain her laughter. "That is so, so,_ sooo_ gross, Noah!"

Spencer could only laugh as Sugar threw open her door and raced away up the sidewalk, still shrieking and waving her hands wildly. "You're disgusting, Puck." She said, but her voice was amused.

"You love me." He said, turning in his seat to look at her with a smile.

"That I do." Spencer said lovingly, kissing him quickly before pulling back with a loud _Mwah! _"Now come on. Let's get back before the ladies come out looking for us. You know they'll want to talk for hours." She climbed over his center console into the front seat, but was surprised when he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his lap.

"Oh no ya don't!" Puck said, tickling a giggling, thrashing Spencer until she finally gave up and stopped fighting him, surrendering to her helpless laughter. He looked down into her eyes and smiled, thinking about just how much he really loved this girl. "You don't get to just avoid everyone who may or may not have seen your _My Little Pony_ underwear leaving Toby's yesterday. Cedes wasn't even there, and I'm sure Hanna was just as trashed as you were."

"They're _Looney Tunes,_" She began bitterly, blushing furiously at the mention of her underwear. "And what about Artie and Britt? They were there too." She crossed her arms and looked up into Puck's with a sarcastic eyebrow raised.

"You're gonna have to face them sooner or later." He said, lifting her hand and pressing it to his lips as he waited for an answer. When he didn't get one, he switched tactics. "Come on Spence..." He begged. "I haven't seen Mercedes in weeks, and neither have you." Spencer just pursed her lips, but he could see her resolve weakening. "I miss her." He added, pleadingly.

Finally, she sighed, twisting herself upright and glaring at him. "You owe me for this, Puckerman." Puck pumped his fist into the air in victory, and Spencer just rolled her eyes at him. Popping open the drivers' side door, Puck helped Spencer climb down to the ground before pocketing his keys and following her, putting on his favorite Oakley shades as he went.

Sliding his arm around Spencer's shoulders, Puck couldn't help but wonder how life could get any better at this point. He had the perfect girlfriend, amazing friends, and alcohol ready and at his disposal _legally_ since he'd turned 21. Besides, Kelly Clarkson was making music again, and if there was one thing Noah Puckerman knew, it was that if old Kelly girl had resurfaced, life was more than certainly on a good path.

Holding open the door for his girlfriend, a cool breeze of air-conditioned air smacked Puck in the face as he ushered Spencer inside. They crossed the small, cool lobby to the double grey doors marking the elevator, where they stopped and shared a mutual look of confusion. Spencer was he one to put their similar mental question into words. "Um, so does either of us know which floor they live on?"

Puck wracked his brain, trying to think of the last time he'd been here and what floor they had gone to then. That had been over a year ago though, and now, 12 months of life and alcohol and memories later, that particular memory had faded into the background haze of his mind. He honestly had no idea.

At Puck's apparent cluelessness, Spencer sighed and pulled out her phone, meaning to text Hanna, but a warm hand on her arm stopped her and she looked up into her boyfriend's face in questioning.

"Look", he said, pointing up at the blinking lights above the elevator which were progressing steadily downward with soft little _'pings!' _"Someone's on their way down. Maybe before we text Hanna or Mercedes and let them know what terrible friends we are, we could see if this person knows anything."

Spencer cocked an eyebrow in disbelief, searching Puck's face for any hints of sarcasm or joking, and finding none. "You seriously want to ask a complete stranger if they just so happen to know, out of all 300 or so tenants in this building, where Hanna Marin and Mercedes Jones live?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I intend to do." Puck said, stepping to the side and leaning back against the wall.

Spencer eyed him, chewing on her lip consideringly for a moment, before putting up her hands in surrender and stepping back. "Fine, love. If _you_ want to stand here and make a fool of yourself in the girls' building, feel free. I, for one, am going to the bathroom over there." Spencer pointed towards a little brown door off to the side with a pink stick girl drawn on the front. "Let me know how your detective work goes buddy." With a wink, Spencer turned on one her heel and strode away.

Puck just watched her go, wondering just how in the hell that girl could still manage to be so god damned beautiful, even sporting last night's trashed party clothes and makeup. _Yep,_ he thought, as the door swung slowly shut behind her, _still beautiful._

So lost in his train of thought that was Spencer Veronica Hastings, Puck didn't even notice the elevator behind him had reached the bottom floor until he heard the unmistakable squeal of enthusiasm that could only belong to one woman on this planet: Mercedes.

"Noah Puckerman, boy, I _know_ your fine ass was not going to just stand there and not come on up to say hello to Mama Jones!" Puck spun around in surprise and was immediately crushed against the one and only Mercedes Jones. After a brief moment of initial shock, Puck finally recovered enough to shout his surprise and laughter and hug her back tightly. He chuckled into the warm, familiar shoulder at the irony of the situation before pulling away to look her over. It really had been a long while since he'd seen her, and he'd missed this bright, glowing girl more than he'd realized.

"Cedes..." He said quietly, reacquainting himself with her cheerful features before pulling her back to him and hugging her even tighter than before. "I missed you." They stood there for a moment, just basking in the warmth and comfort of each other's embrace before Puck heard a voice cleared their throat uncomfortably nearby and he realized they weren't alone. As Puck opened his eyes and pulled back from Cedes, he saw a slim, dark haired man standing nearby in a grey T-Shirt and cargo shorts, eyeing him suspiciously with a death grip on a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. _Who the hell is he? _Puck wondered.

Apparently mystery man was having the same thought. "Who's our little friend here, Mercedes?" the man asked with forced geniality, stepping forward and wrapping a possessive arm around her shoulders. Puck stepped back, raising his hands non-combatively to let Cedes deal with that one.

"Ryder, chill." Mercedes said soothingly, smiling at her wary companion as she rubbed his arm in reassurance. "This is my _friend_, Noah Puckerman. You can call him Puck."

Ryder ignored Puck completely, instead speaking directly to Mercedes again. "And how do we know Noah, babe?"

"_Puck_, and I, went to high school together. We're really good friends", Mercedes replied defensively, crossing her arms and looking up at him with in confusion. Puck just stood there, hands jammed awkwardly into his pockets, not wanting to interrupt. This Ryder guy seemed to have some serious security issues, if he was any judge. "Will you just chill boy?" Mercedes said suddenly, pulling out of Ryder's death grip. "He has a girlfriend."

Said girlfriend blessedly chose that exact moment to emerge from the women's bathroom, looking down into her purse for something as she walked towards Puck. "So, did you have any luck harassing strange-" Her voice trailed off as she finally looked up and recognized the trio standing before her. "MERCEDES!" Spencer squealed, bursting at least one of Puck's eardrums as she ran towards Cedes and threw herself into the other's waiting arms.

As the two hugged it out, Puck chose the moment to walk over to the other man and stand beside him, arranging his hands in his pockets more casually this time. "So..." he said, looking over at him with a smile. "_Ryder_, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Spencer." He gestured towards the duo, indicating the smaller, lighter-skinned one.

The shorter man smiled at the ground sheepishly, apparently deciding Puck safe enough. "I'm really sorry about that bro. It's just, Mercedes is a really cool girl, and I get a little defensive sometimes." He shrugged and looked up at Puck with a helpless smile. Puck found himself feeling a bit friendlier.

"Yeah", Puck replied. "She_ is _really cool." He mused, and then continued on thoughtlessly. "We dated for a while back in high school." At Ryder's alarmed expression of surprise, Puck put up a defensive hand and rushed to reassure him. "Hey! Nope. Don't even worry, man. There is absolutely _nothing_ like that between us anymore. We're just really good friends. I am completely 100% committed to my Princess Spencer."

Ryder smiled and sighed in relief, apparently satisfied, and Puck jumped as two slim arms suddenly slid around his waist, linking together gently and startling him. "Princess Spencer, hmmm...?" Spencer mused, standing on tiptoe to lean against his back and hook her chin over his shoulder. "I like the sound of that, Puckerman." Puck grinned as Mercedes squealed yet again, linking arms with Ryder as she gushed over how "freakin adorable" Puck and Spencer were.

After a few more- well, okay, about 20 minute's worth of- pleasantries, Ryder nudged Mercedes and whispered something into her ear, and she laughed. "Oh Lord, yes, you know I could stand here and talk to my babies all day." She turned and directed her next words to Puck and Spencer. "We were on our way up to the apartment too, until I realized I'd forgotten my mail, and I just came back down here to grab it. We're headed straight up after though, so if you guys want, you could go ahead up and we'll meet you there?" At Puck's nervous look, she added, "Or, you guys could just _wait_, and we could all go up together."

Puck internally sighed in relief at that, grateful to have avoided the awkwardness of having to ask which floor it was that they lived on again. Cedes leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "Honestly, I'd prefer if you honey buns came up _with_ us. I haven't been home since yesterday, and I just know Hanna's blood is probably boiling because I forgot her little pixie stick ass last night." Puck laughed and nodded, squeezing Spencer's hand in secretive joy over how lucky they'd just gotten, which she returned weakly.

As Cedes and Ryder headed off in the opposite direction, Puck turned to look at his girlfriend, taking in for the first time just how truly exhausted she looked. "Hey, babe, are you okay?" He asked, looking her over in concern. "So you want to go lay down for a second?" He gestured towards a little plush bench off against one wall, meaning to pull her in that direction, but she stopped him.

"No, Puckerman, I'm a big girl. I can survive a slight case of sleep deprivation." She smiled at the ground before leaning off of him and reaching down to retrieve her discarded purse from the lobby floor. "God knows I'd never survive college if I couldn't." She added as she leaned against the wall, motioning for Puck to join her.

Puck did so, and after mulling it over for a second decided that now might be as good a time as any to bring up his earlier resolution regarding Artie, Sugar, and Brittany. "Well, Princessa, that's good, because I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Did you now?" Spencer asked, pulling out her phone to check through her unread messages.

"Um, yeah. Well, ya know, I know you don't live with me and Ezra or anything, but you do spend more nights than most over there, so I figured I should ask you too."

"Mmhmm..." Spencer mumbled, preoccupied with reading a message from Artie from earlier that morning; something about Brittany freaking out over spiders in Lord Tubbington's portable hot tub. She didn't even know how to reply to that one, so she didn't.

Meanwhile, Puck was still awkwardly dancing around his point. "I mean, ya know, cuz I already texted Ezra and all, and he said _he_ didn't mind in the slightest so long as I asked you too, and so I thought that meant it was relatively safe to just go ahead and use your word as verdict as if he'd confirmed it because he'd basically already said yes and all, and so I just-"

Spencer put her phone back into her purse and sighed, smiling to herself at her boyfriend's adorable antics. "Puck." She said, cutting him off and pressing a finger against his lips to stop his rambling. "Whatever it is, just ask me. I promise I won't sic Santana's rabid ferret on you again."

"That wasn't very nice, by the way." Puck said with an exaggerated pout. "I still have the scars on my ankle from where it chewed on me."

"And I have said one hundred and twenty seven times that I am sorry, and that you shouldn't wear hockey masks in the house if you don't want to be innocently mistaken for Jason Voorhees." Spencer smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Now, will you please just get on with it? You're making me feel like you're about to ask me if you can adopt a child or something." She leaned against his chest and looked up into his eyes lovingly like a sad puppy.

"Um, who is adopting a child up in here, and why in the _hell_ have I not been asked to be the God Mama yet?" Mercedes' diva suddenly broke in, and Puck and Spencer both looked up to see her crossing the room, mail in manicured hand with Ryder following close behind, still loaded down with the Krispy Kreme box. "Ya'll ready to go face the dragon?" Mercedes asked, smiling brightly until she noticed Spencer's resigned laughter in Puck's chest, and the look of pure awkward on said man's face. "Oh Lordy, did I interrupt something?" she asked in a dramatic whisper, looking at Spencer's face and finding embarrassed confirmation there. "Yep." She said, turning to Ryder. "I think we definitely interrupted something. Shall we go wait over there guys?" She pointed toward the elevator doors, less than 10 feet away.

Puck sighed and laughed quietly to himself before breaking into a grin and throwing his arm over Spencer's shoulder. "Nah, 'Cedes. Don't worry. It's cool. Let's head on up."

"Okay then..." Mercedes replied uncertainly, looking from Puck to Spencer, and back again. "But only if you're sure. My mama didn't raise me to be butting into other people's private conversations and all." She looked at Ryder calculatingly. "But then again, she also didn't raise me to buy no store made doughnuts, and look what we have here." Mercedes gestured to the box in Ryder's hand with a laugh, and the four joined in as they crossed to the elevator.

On the way up to the apartment (Which was on the **NINTH** floor, by the way, and Puck would be damned if he ever forgot that again), the four chatted and laughed comfortably, three of them breaking into simultaneous giggles at Puck's account of the day thus far, much to Spencer's dismay. Hadn't she _just_ told him how embarrassed she was about all of that? Oh yeah, he was gonna get his.

As they stepped out of the little metal elevator box into the warm, dim-lighted comfort of a long plush corridor, Spencer stepped up to his back held him by the shoulder for a second to whisper into his ear "Ferrets like nuts, too, Puck. Did you know that?" With a sly smile and an evil wink that sent a chill up Puck's spine, Spencer stepped around from behind him and hurried ahead to catch up with Mercedes and Ryder, leaving Puck to cringe at the mental image he had just received. _Payback's a bitch._ He though with a mental wince.

He jogged around the curve of the red-carpeted wall to where the other three were standing, Mercedes jiggling a key into a solid, wooden door marked simply: _**99**_. It was the last door at the end of the hallway, so he decided it was safe to assume that the 10th floor would begin at _**100**_. He didn't have much time to think that one over though, because then Mercedes was opening the door and ushering him and Spencer inside ahead of her, presumably as protection.

Even though Puck had been here before, he was still amazed by the contrast between the hallway they had just exited, and the hip, stainless steel decked vintage pad he had just walked into. The hallways were warm and cozy and reminded him of cough drops and hotels and old people named Frank, Hubert, and Ethel. Stepping into Mercedes and Hanna's space was like time-jumping.

The floors were wide and wooden, with white throw rugs placed sensibly throughout. The furniture was also white, but with a mixed assortment of bright red and dusty orange pillows to accent. A high ceiling was hung with bright strings of white Christmas lights, with a large silver ball hanging in the center like some architectural piece of art. A large, single paned window stretched from ceiling to floor against the far wall, offering a beautiful early afternoon view of the forest behind the apartment complex. Beyond the trees stretched an open, slate gray expanse that Puck recognized immediately as the Seneca lake, which in a few weeks time would be bubbling with life and color. For now though, it was still early in the spring, and bits of color were just starting to slowly bud in the mix of things. It was beautiful.

Puck found that he had actually all but forgotten that New York even _had_ forests and lakes and scenery besides subways and sidewalks and such, but then again, hermitting in the city all the time as he did could make one forget that even NY had it's lovely suburbs and outskirts. He reminded himself to never again question Hanna and Mercedes about living in the city.

Despite the large appearance at first glance, Puck remembered that the adjoining bedrooms and bathroom were actually quite small, reminding him of his earlier intentions. "Spence-" He began, turning towards her, but she was already walking ninja-style in the direction of the main couch, over which Puck could just see Artie's head peeking. Closer observation found two blonde heads on either side of Arties, and a glance into the connected kitchen found Sugar, moaning at the island over a mug of something sending puffs of steam up into her tired, sick looking face; probably coffee or tea.

_How in the hell did I not notice how bad everyone was looking? Hell, what do I look like?_ Puck wondered. He knew that nearly four hours in a cramped car after a night like last night's, no matter how lovely the weather, wasn't a great recipe for clean, crisp, and beautiful. He suddenly found himself feeling bad for not at least stopping somewhere before hand so everyone could freshen up, or even somewhere to eat on the way. The thought of food mad him realize how hungry he was, and he glanced at the box of doughnuts Ryder was still holding mournfully.

He was about to ask Ryder why he didn't just set the box down, partially for concern over the man's clearly tired arms, but more importantly for his own starvation relief, when he realized how awkwardly Cedes and Ryder were still standing there. _Oh, shit. _He mentally moaned, remembering Mercedes' earlier words and dreading the confrontation that was sure to come.

Oddly enough, it didn't. After Spencer had pounced on the couch and wrestled around gleefully with her friends for a minute or so, Hanna finally stood and made her way over to Mercedes where she stood and looked the girl over reproachfully. Puck held his breath in anticipation, but his worries were quickly dissipated when Hanna sighed and smiled before enveloping the larger woman into a warm hug. Puck noticed that Ryder also exhaled heavily, and realized how nervous he probably was as well.

"So." Hanna said, stepping back and looking over Mercedes' shoulder at Ryder, who nodded his head in acknowledgement. "_This_ is the hot piece of ass you forgot me for last night?"

Mercedes sighed and took the bull by the horns. "Look, Hanna. I know I did you wrong girl. And I'm so incredibly sorry, but-"

"Are you kidding me!?" Hanna shrieked, cutting her off. "No offense, but I totally would have done the same to you Mrs. Jones. Do you _see_ this boy?" Hanna stepped up to Ryder and looked him over approvingly before reaching out to touch his arm. As soon as her fingertip grazed him, however, she snapped her hand back with a whistle and a sizzling noise. "Damn, girl. He is _hot_!"

"_And_ he is _mine_, Han, so watch those little kitty claws while ya still got 'em." Mercedes reminded as she grabbed Ryder's arm and pulled it against hers protectively. _Okay..._ Puck thought, _so maybe Ryder isn't the only one with some jealousy issues_. But it was obvious that Cedes was just joking by the smirk on her face and the glimmer of amusement in her eyes.

"Fine, fine." Hanna relented, smiling. "But-"

"No."

"Fine..." Hanna said with a sigh. "So is Tall Blonde and Bloody Gorgeous going to be staying here or what? Cuz as much as I'd love to feast my eyes on that _fine_ piece of man all day, God knows we've only got one spare bedroom, and with Cali on Ice visiting, he's probably gonna end up sleeping in someone's bed, and yours is kinda small, so..."

Mercedes just laughed. "Girl, I'm gonna need to find you a boyfriend, and quick. Ryder here is with me, and I will not be sharing."

"Oh, so _Ryder_, is it? That's pretty bad, _Ryder_." Hanna put on a heavy Jersey accent ad fiddled with his collar, making Ryder turn red until Mercedes swatted her and she ran off, giggling.

As Hanna disappeared into one of the bedrooms, Mercedes called after her one final time "Mine, Incubus!"

"I thought Incubus was a man..." Puck whispered, leaning over to Ryder's ear. Ryder just shrugged.

"So are you?" Mercedes asked suddenly, turning to face the pair who were now trying to feign innocence.

"Uh, am I... what?" Ryder asked.

"Staying." Mercedes crossed her arms.

Ryder blushed. "Well, I mean, I'd like to, but..."

"Then you're staying. Point and case." Mercedes shrugged of her coat and hung it on a rack.

"Alright then. Guess I'm staying." Ryder agreed with a smile, but then the smile became a grimace. "So am I in the all clear now? Is it safe to set this box down yet?" Ryder asked, shifting slightly under the uncomfortable weight of the box. Puck guessed there had to be about 48 doughnuts in there.

"Oh my Jesus, yes child! Sit that damn box down already before you collapse!" Mercedes took the box from a relieved Ryder hastily and plopped it down on the counter in front of Sugar. "One thing you'll learn quickly is that in this house, doughnuts are always welcome. Watch." She smiled widely. "Doughnuts!" She called.

Immediately the TV was flipped off, and Artie, Britt, and Hanna appeared in the kitchen. Lifting doughnuts from the box in passing and settling down around the island to enjoy them, the three made a circle around Sugar, who was weakly noming on her own glazed, jelly-filled treat. A light buzz of chatter picked up as Ryder and Spencer sat down to join them, leaving Mercedes and Puck leaning against the built-in stove on the wall, watching their friends as they too enjoyed the wonders of the Krispy Kreme man.

"So where'd you say you met this _Ryder_ guy again?" Puck asked through a bite of his crème filled croissant.

Mercedes just smiled in embarrassment, causing Puck to put his snack down and look her in they eyes. "Please, please tell me you did not hook up with the cashier at the nearest Shell™ in Rochester in the gas station bathroom, and bring him home with you to Lansing?" Puck wiped his hands on his jeans, amused when Mercedes slapped him in the back of his head in disbelief.

"Noah Bradley Puckerman! Now you know damn _well _that I wouldn't do something so wild, boy!" Mercedes said incredulously in her big, loud, trademarked diva voice, earning a few curious looks from the table but nothing more as their curiosity was replaced with the allure of sugar and dough. Only Sugar's gaze lingered, staring up at the pair in hung-over misery before falling face first back onto the marble counter top.

Brittany thoughtfully lifted her head and placed a large, round powdered doughnut on the island before gently lowering Sugar's head back down onto its new cushion with a satisfied smile. Jelly filling oozed out the side like a sore, and mixed into the tangles of Sugar's hair. No one even noticed.

'Haha, I know, I know, Cedes. I kid, I kid." Puck put up his hands in surrender and retrieved his doughnut from the counter. "But" he continued, looking up into her curious face with a mouthful of sugar, "I _think_ I might I have a solution for your little housing situation here."

**A/N: **

**x**

**Gahhhh, so it's not really a cliffhanger, since we already know Puck's solution, but still; "eh", I say. Seemed like a good place to stop. ^.^ **

**x**

**So I know this chapter may have seemed a bit like filler and all, since it seemed to contribute very little to the plot, but I **_**promise**_**, I have my reasons. ;) Plot bunnies, Plot bunnies away! **

**x**

**Of course, shout out to my big sis and unofficial beta: **_**synful92**_**. Major love and cuddly teddy bears to that one! She motivates my lazy ass through all the fits and tears to sit down and kick out these chapters because were SUPPOSED to be working together, but I'm a procrastinator and so she's 3 chapters ahead of me on hers (Whisper To A Scream) and I'm bitter. Very, very bitter.**

**x**

**Can I just say? Pitch Perfect's cast (Mainly Rebel Wilson) at the MTV awards this weekend? Mmf? YES? Hell yeah. xD**

**x**

_**Anyway**_**, I super hope you enjoyed, guys!**

**~Xoxo Kcuffy**


End file.
